Our Approach to Teaching for Mastery in Mathematics

Mathematics at SS. Mary & John’s Catholic Primary Academy

At SS. Mary & John’s Catholic Primary Academy, we believe that every child can succeed in mathematics. Guided by a Teaching for Mastery approach, our curriculum ensures that all pupils develop a deep, secure, and connected understanding of mathematical concepts that lasts a lifetime.

We foster a ‘can-do’ culture where mistakes are valued as vital stepping stones in learning, resilience is celebrated, and every child builds the confidence to solve complex, real-world problems.

Curriculum Intent: What We Aim to Achieve

Our aim is for every child to leave our school as a fluent, logical, and enthusiastic mathematician. We focus on:

Deep & Sustainable Understanding: Mastering foundational concepts thoroughly rather than rushing through content.
Fluency & Automaticity: Developing rapid recall of core facts, number bonds, and multiplication tables.
Reasoning & Connections: Teaching pupils to explain their thinking, spot patterns, and articulate mathematical relationships.
A Growth Mindset: Cultivating confidence, curiosity, flexibility in thinking, and zero fear of failure.
Real-World Skills: Equipping pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge across other subjects and in daily life.

How We Teach Maths (Implementation)

We follow the White Rose Maths scheme of learning, fully aligned with the UK National Curriculum and DfE Non-Statutory Guidance. All pupils move through the curriculum at broadly the same pace, ensuring firm foundations before moving forward.

Core Teaching Principles

Small Steps Journey: Learning is broken down into coherent, manageable steps to ensure deep conceptual understanding.
Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract (CPA): Children use physical equipment (like counters and Base-10) and visual representations before moving to abstract symbols and equations.
Mathematical Oracy: Pupils are taught precise mathematical vocabulary and are encouraged to explain their reasoning in full sentences using structured stem sentences.
Kagan Collaborative Learning: Children work together through structured cooperative learning strategies to discuss, test, and refine their ideas.
Variation & Questioning: Teachers use variation to highlight mathematical structures and ask probing questions to expose and address misconceptions immediately.

Inclusion, Support & Challenge

Mathematics is for everyone at SS. Mary & John’s. We maintain high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, English as an Additional Language (EAL), or disadvantaged backgrounds.

Aspect	How We Support Every Learner
Adaptive Teaching	Successful learning approaches guided by the EEF’s Five-a-Day principles: explicit instruction, cognitive strategies, scaffolding, flexible grouping, and technology.
Intervention	Misconceptions are identified in real-time through live marking, remodelling and further exploration. Through assessment for learning, teachers and teaching assistants run targeted keep-up sessions to keep children on track.
Deepening Knowledge	Rapid graspers are challenged through complex reasoning and open-ended problem-solving—deepening their mastery rather than accelerating to new year-group content.
SEND & Bespoke Pathways	Following EEF SEND recommendations, we offer tailored provision maps, 1:1 tutoring, and evidence-based fluency interventions agreed by our SENDCo and maths lead.

Supporting Maths at Home

Working in partnership with parents and carers is central to our approach, parents can use simple, positive daily habits to make a huge difference.

1. Digital Learning & Apps

We provide pupils with access to engaging digital platforms to build fluency and confidence outside the classroom:

White Rose Maths 1-Minute Maths App: A free, easy-to-use app ideal for Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils to practice number bonds, subitising, and basic addition and subtraction in short, targeted bursts.
Times Tables Rock Stars: Pupils are assigned individual logins to practice rapid recall of multiplication tables through fun games tailored to their learning level.

2. Practical Ways to Help Every Day

Model a ‘Can-Do’ Attitude: Avoid saying, ‘I was never any good at maths.’ Praise your child’s effort, persistence, and strategy rather than just speed or getting the right answer.
Spot Maths in Everyday Life: Involve your child in everyday tasks—measuring ingredients while cooking, calculating change at the shops, reading timetables, or spotting 2D and 3D shapes around the home.
Ask ‘How Do You Know?’: Encourage your child to explain their thinking in full sentences, asking them to describe how they reached an answer rather than just giving the final number.

Our Curriculum Impact

By the time children complete their journey at SS. Mary & John’s Catholic Primary Academy, they will:

Achieve Outstanding Progress: Attain their highest possible outcomes relative to their individual starting points, striving to meet or exceed Age Related Expectations.
Secure Foundational Knowledge & Automaticity: Develop a secure mastery of key foundational knowledge and rapid automaticity of Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs), freeing up working memory for complex problem-solving.
Be Fluent Problem Solvers: Easily draw upon mathematical facts, methods, and reasoning strategies to tackle unfamiliar problems.
Be Resilient Learners: Possess a self-motivated, ‘can-do’ attitude, confident in their ability to succeed through effort and perseverance.